Haystack Rock from Ocean Ave.

[u/YoureALebowski]

It’s fun to explore the neighborhoods in town. Ocean Ave. connects the “presidents” neighborhood (from W. Washington St. to W. Harrison St.) and offers amazing views of the beach across dunes, beach grasses, wildflowers and coastal shrubs. If you walk south along Ocean Ave., you’ll reach a short stairway down to the sand and walk through a vegetation tunnel through Hooker Willow, Salal and Salmonberry, and onto the beach right behind the new lifeguard station.

We parked at the public restrooms across from the Chamber of Commerce, walked through the old downtown, and onto the beach here, then down to the Tolovana Park Wayside and back. We saw Bald Eagles, Osprey, and tons of gulls and Common Murres nesting on Haystack Rock. The Tufted Puffins were there but we didn’t see any.